Review Summary: Experimental fusion jazz that is rooted in the traditionalist nature.
Traditional and progressive jazz are two entirely different beasts. You know what to expect from the traditionalists such as Buddy Rich or Oscar Peterson, music with emphasis on beats two and four featuring great musicianship. The progressive or fusion side of the jazz equation took another philosophical view. Groups such as Weather Report or Mahavishnu Orchestra saw jazz as a musical form with no boundaries. The two sides were not always mutually exclusive, after all Miles Davis started off as a very traditional artist. With this in mind let me present to you the Chicago Underground Quartet, a modern jazz group consisting of leader Rob Mazurek on cornet, moog synthesizer and electronics, Jeff Parker on guitar, Noel Kupersmith on bass and Chad Taylor on drums and vibraphone. The band take traditional jazz forms and mold them into a fusion of post-rock, electronic and indie rock. While this may seem like a messy amalgamation, the group manage to leave the fusion aspects as more of a texture under the jazz skeleton.
The guitar work from Jeff Parker on this record is fantastic. His style is very much in the same vein as a John Scofield, often looping the guitar lines and soloing over top. The rolling scale of album opener “Tunnel Chrome” or the oddly timed “A Re-Occurring Dream” are perfect examples of this. Generally the guitar lines that serve as the structure of the pieces are where the fusion elements come in to play. The repetitiveness of the lines gives a post-rock feel, while at other times the melodies on the guitar would not be out of place in an indie-rock song. The bass playing on the album is very traditional as Kupersmith steadily moves through the chord progressions. “Three in the Morning” presents the best bass work on the album as it completely changes the feel of the piece. The song starts off very slow and reflective, made by the dreamy, clean guitar work, until the bass comes in half way through, and it immediately picks up the pace.
While the guitar and bass remain in more of a traditional arena, certain tracks on the album veer far away from the traditional. “Total Recovery” is starkly electronic, with the looped percussion and guitar feeling like something Boards of Canada were responsible for. When the vibraphone enters the fray with the heavily processed cornet, the song takes on a lighter form, almost merrily prancing toward it’s conclusion. Ultimately, while definitely experimental, this track fails to live up to the others as it is just too repetitive. However the worst track on the album comes in the form of “Welcome”, the seven and a half minute exercise in squealing cornet and very random drumming (think of the new Kayo Dot record). This brings up my only major gripe with this album, the cornet playing of Rob Mazurek. When playing more subdued and in the background, it’s very good, but there is a tendency to go on avant-garde solos that are simply squealing with no sense of structure or melody.
Still, aside from this flaw, the album has enough great stuff within it that I can recommend it. It’s traditional fusion jazz, that isn’t afraid to push boundaries of modern free jazz. While some of the more avant-garde moments can be slightly off putting to the casual listener, the majority of the work overshadows these moments. The addition of indie-rock sensibilities, post-rock grandeur and electronic blips and bloops to the jazz fray make for an interesting listen. A listen that I hope many of you will look to, whether you’re a fan of jazz or not. Most open minded listeners will find something to enjoy from this record, I can guarantee this.
